militarywikiaorg-20200222-history
8th Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment
|branch= British Army |type= Infantry battalion |role= Internal Security |size= 750 |current_commander= |Regimental Headquarters= Lisburn |march=(Quick) Garryowen & Sprig of Shillelagh. (Slow) Oft in the Stilly Night |motto= "Quis Separabit" ( ) "Who Shall Separate Us?" |commander1= First: General Sir John Anderson GBE, KCB, DSO. Last: General Sir Charles Huxtable, KCB, CBE, DL |commander1_label= Colonel Commandant |commander2=Colonel Sir Dennis Faulkner CBE }} The 8th (County Tyrone) Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment was formed on 1 December 1971 using companies, based in the east of the county, of the 6th Battalion Ulster Defence Regiment.Potter P63 It was, along with the rest of the regiment, subsumed into the Royal Irish Rangers in 1992 to form the Royal Irish Regiment.The Ulster Defence Regiment - British Army Website History Battalion HQ was based at Killymeal House, Dungannon, which was also home for the Commanding Officer and his family. The operations room was located in the stables.Potter p63. 5 companies were dispersed between Killymeal House and the rest of the battalion area. The first Commanding Officer was Lieutenant Colonel John Blackwell of the Royal Tank Regiment.Potter p63 On 7 November 1974 a gunman hijacked a van with its driver. A 500 lb bomb was placed in the van and the driver ordered to take it to the local UDR base, which was J Company, 8 UDR. This was known in the terminology of the time as a Proxy bomb. The base was prepared for such an attack, as were most bases.Potter p137 When the van arrived at their base, a sergeant from J Company grabbed his SMG and forced the van driver to put his vehicle into what was known as a "Critpit"Ryder p72 (named after its originator, Colonel I.R. Critchley, (Black Watch),http://thepeerage.com/p1736.htm deputy commander of 3 Infantry Brigade.Potter p410 The Critpit was a deep pit, large enough to hold a lorry, and lined with sandbags.Ryder p72 The bomb exploded less than an hour later but the only damage done was a few shattered windows in the base and surrounding area.Ryder p72 Uniform, armament & equipment Casualties The first soldier from the new battalion was killed on 7 December 1971. Lance Corporal Dennis Wilson, aged 31 J Company) had taken to his bed at home with a cold. At 10.30pm three armed men forced entry to his farmhouse near Caledon, County Tyrone, 300 yards from the border with the Republic of Ireland. One of them held his family at gunpoint in a downstairs room whilst the other two went upstairs and killed him.Ryder p47 Notable personnel * Category:Ulster Defence Regiment soldiers * Category:Ulster Defence Regiment officers See also *Ulster Defence Regiment *List of battalions and locations of the Ulster Defence Regiment Bibliography * A Testimony to Courage – the Regimental History of the Ulster Defence Regiment 1969 – 1992, John Potter, Pen & Sword Books Ltd, 2001, ISBN 0-85052-819-4 * The Ulster Defence Regiment: An Instrument of Peace?, Chris Ryder 1991 ISBN 0-413-64800-1 References Category:Infantry regiments of the British Army Category:Military history of County Tyrone Category:Recipients of the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1992 Category:Defunct Irish regiments of the British Army Category:Battalions of the Ulster Defence Regiment